Concentrator



w. J. ROBBINS Aug. 10

CONCENTRATOR Filed Sept. 24

1924 2 Shets-Shebt 1 Aug 10,1926. 1,595,621 7 W. J. ROBBiNS CONCENTRATOR Filed Sept 24, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- Z9" A I -9 Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

UNETED STATES WESLEY J. ROBBINS, or WILMINGTON, CALIFORNIA.

CONCENTRATOR.

Application filed September 24, 1924. Serial No.739,583.

This invention relates to improvements in concentrators, used for. concentrating and separating out the valuable material from aurit'erous ores.

It is an object of this invention to provide a concentrator consisting of an upright tank in which there is mounted a vertical pipe adapted to be rotatably oscillated, which carries a plurality of pans into which the oreiis adapted to' be poured, and to provide means for discharging water into the/bottom of eachotthe'pans and to provide means for separately withdrawing the flour gold collected in the bottom of each A further object'of this invention is to provide a concentrator consifiing of a pipe adapted to be rotatably oscillated, which pipe carries a plurality of pans in which there are disposed a plurality of removable pans having screen bottoms disposed about the bottom of the first mentioned pans, and to provide shells about the first mentioned pans which define passages for material over-flowing from each pan so that the overflowing material may be discharged centrally upon subja'cent pans.

lVi'ththe foregoing and other objects in view which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and pointed out in the appended claims, reterence is had to the accompanying drawings for an illusrative embodiment of the invention,

'vl.erein: c

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved concentrator, parts being broken and shown in sec.ion,

2 is a vertical section taken. substantially upon the line 2 2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. isfa top plan view of the concentrator shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

Fig. 1 is a horizontal section taken stantially on the line itl of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken stantially upon the line 55 of Fig. 2,

Fig. (i is a horizontal section taken substantially upon the line 6-6 of Fig. 1, and

F 7 is a perspective view of one of the sennconical pans.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters des ignate similar parts throughout, the improved concentrator consists of a cylindrical tank 10 disposed in upright position and which may be provided with a door -11 havsubsub-

ing a lock 12. The tank 10 is supported upon any convenient or conventional supporting means, generally designated at 13, which supporting means may rest upon concrete bases 14*. The top of the tank 10 is open and a suitable spider 17 is rigidly secured thereon. A funnel-shaped member 18 is secured adjacent the top, ofthe tank 10 and disposed beneath the spider 17 V A pipe 19 extends vertically within the tank 10 andcentrally thereof and has its ends journaled in the bottom 20 of the tank 10 and in the spider 17.; A suitable packing-retaining member 21 may be secured upon the bot-tom 20, which is adapted to have packing 22 compressed therein about the )lPG 19 b means of packing glands 23. The pipe 19 has a diametrical bolt 2a extending therethrough, to which is connected a cable 25'tastenedto the spider 17 so that the weight of the pipe 19 with the panssecured thereto, is carried by the cable 25,. vThe lower en'dof the pipe 191s connected by a suitable coupling 26 to a water supply pipe 27, which may be provided with a valve 28, and the coupling 26 is of such construction that it-pe'rmits the pipe 19 to rotate therein without leakage. A suitable clamp 29 is secured adjacent the bottom of the pipe19, which clamp carries an arm 30 which may be provided with a plurality 01" aperatures 31. Asuitable link having a'pin 33 removably secured in its end and passing through one of the apertures 31, is connected to a crank 3a mounted upon a shaft 35 Which'is connected by means of gears 36 and 37 to a. shaft 38 hearing a pulley wheel 39 adapted to be driven by a belt 40 from a suitable source of power. As'will readily be understood, rotation ofthe pulley 39 produces rotation of the crank 34, thereby causing the link 82 to oscillate'the arm 30 and the pipe 19 about a vertical axis.

I A plurality of sleeves 41 are rigidly secured uponthe pipe 19, which sleeves have integral therewith flanges 42, to which may be secured conical members d3, so that the members 43 and the sleeves 4:1 cooperate to form a plurality of conical pansrigidly secured upon the pipe 19 with the flanges 4-2 constituting a bottom for each pan. A pair of semi-circular conical pans 1 1 are disposed within each rigid as to be readily removed therefrom. These semi "are held above the bottoms or flanges 12 of the sleeves ell. Nipples 49 are threaded through the sleeves 41 into the pipe 19 and are provided with valves 50 so that water may be discharged from the pipe 19 into the bottom of each of the rigidly secured pans. An inclined plate 51 having an aperture in its center to receive the pipe 19 and the sleeve 41 is disposed within the bottom of each of the rigidly secured pans.

A conical shell 52 is rigidly secured by means of bolts which may bear spacing members 5 1, to the conical members 43, so that as liquid and ore flow over the edges of the rigidly secured pans and the removable pans ld, passages will be defined for, so that the over-flowing material will be directed and discharged centrally of the next subjaceut pan mounted upon the pipe 19. Sections of screen are secured upon the top edges of the shells 52 by means of wing nuts 56, or their equivalent, so that the sections of screen 55 may be readily removed therefrom.

A cylindrical element 57 is disposed about each conical shell having a bottom there H plate 58 which is inclined, connecting it with a conical shell 52 so as to form a pair of semi-circular or helical troughs which are inclined downwardly about each shell 52 from one side thereof. These troughs are provided with common spouts 59 which are adapted i oscillate within openings 60 formed in the sides of the tank 10. The spouts 59 discharge into lateral extensions 61. oi conduit 62 secured upon the tank 10 so that he material discharges through the separate spouts 59 will be carried away through a spout 63 provided on the conduit 62 from the concentrator. Nipples extend throu h the shells 52 into the bottom of the rigidly secured pans. These nipples 64 are connected by means of flexible conduits 65, which may be rubber hose or the like, through the side of the tank 10 to the exterior thereof. The portions of the flexible conduits 65 disposed outside of the tank 10 may be provided with suitable valves 66.

The bottom 20 of the tank 10 may be provised with a suitable outlet 67 which may be controlled by a valve 68. The pipe 19 is provided adjacent the top thereof with a pair of nipples 69 provided with valves T6.

The operation of the device is as follows: The ore is poured into the tank 10 between the arms of the spider 17 by means of the chute S and is directed by means of the funnel 118 centrally of the uppermost screen sections 55. lVhile the ore is passing downwardly within the funnel 18, water is dis charged from the interior of the pipe 19 through the nipples 69 and the valves 70, so that when the ore lands upon the screens 55, it has considerable amounts of water mixed therewith. The major portion of the ore passes through the screen sections 55 into the removable pans 4A. Large rocks or lumps of ore which cannot pass through the screens 55 roll outwardly upon the screens into troughs formed by the cylindrical element 57 secured upon the shell 52. These rocks or lumps roll downwardly within the trough and are removed from the tank 10 through the conduit 62 and pass out of the concentrator as tailings. It will be not ,7 that the screen sections 55 are upwardly convex to facilitate the rolling or removal of the rocks and lumps retained thereon. The screen bottoms 46 of the removable pans i" are of considerable finer mesh than the mesh of the screen sections 55, but permit line material including flour gold, if a gold bearing ore is treated, to readily pass therethrough.

Tater is continually discharged through the nipples 19 and the valves 50, causing the pans to be kept full of water and to boil upwardly. As the pans are continually oscillated, the ore within each pan is kept in a continual state of agitation both by the oscillating movement and by the action of the water discharged through the valves 50. The line material which is heavy settles through the screen bottoms 4-6 of the removable pans and into the bottoms of the pans which are rigidly secured to the pipe 11. The fine material including the flour gold is withdrawn from the pans which are rigidly secured to the pipe 19 by means of the nipples 6 1 and the flexible conduits 65, and this line material after being discharged through the valves 66 may be placed in tubs.

The continual discharge of water'from the interior of the r pipe 19 through the valves 50 causes the ore and water within the removable pans 44: to over-flow so that it passes downwardly in the passage formed between. the conical members and the conical shells 52, being discharged centrally of the screen sections 55 of the next subjacent pans. It will readily be understood that the screen sections 55 of the uppermost pan are of relatively coarse mesh, the screen sections 55 of the subjacent pan being of somewhat finer mesh, and the screen sections 55 of the next lower pan being of a still finer mesh. The ore and water having overflowed from the uppermost removable pans 14 and having been discharged upon the subiacentscreen sections 55 undergo the same action in the subjacent pan as in the lllt) iii first pan, the large lumpsand rocks being caused to roll oil the screen section 55 into the inclined semi-circular or helical troughs.

As will readily be understood, the ore upon passing downwardly successively through the various pans has practically all of the fine heavy material removed therefrom and withdrawn from the pans and from the concentratorthrough the flexible conduits 65. Thefine materia'land water which is caused to overflow from the lowermost pans on to the bottom 20 of the tank 10 is withdrawn from within the concentrator through the outlet 67 and the valve 68. This material may be run over an amalgam plate to remove the small quantities of valuable materialremaining therein and into a settling basin, so that the earth may settle out of the water and the water be used over again within the concentrator.

It is seen that an improved concentrator is provided which will thoroughly and efiiciently remove the valuable material, such as flour gold, from the ore and which will reduce the amount of water supplied thereto to a minimum, whichfeature is frequently an important advantage in localities where the improved concentrator is adapted to be used.

If the removable pans 44 become filled with heavy material. which is too heavy to be caused to over-flow therefrom andwhich is too coarse to pass through the screen bottoms 46, the pans 44 may be removed and emptied by unscrewing the wing nuts 56 and removing the screen sections 55, after which the pan- 44 adjacent the doorll may be withdrawn therefrom. When the pan 44 adjacent the door 11 has been cleaned, the

pan 44E opposite thedoor 11 may be caused to slide around within the conical member 43, after which it may also be removed from the rigidly secured pans.

It will be understood that various changes may be made in the detail of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim l. A concentrator comprising a tank having an open top, a pipe extendin vertically upward within said tank, means Ior forcing water upwardly within said pipe, means for oscillating said pipe about its longitudinal axis, a pan rigidly secured to said pipe, a removable pan disposed within the first mentioned pan, said removable pan being provided with a screen bottom, and means tor discharging water from said pipe into the first mentioned pan below the bottom of said removable pan.

2. A. concentrator comprising a tank having an open top, a pipe extending vertically upward within said tank, means for forcing water upwardly within said pipe,- 1neans for oscillating said pipeabout its longitudinal axis, a pan rigidly secured to. said pipe, a removable pan disposed within the first mentioned, pan, said removable pan being provided with a screen bottom, means for discharging water from said pipe into the first mentioned pan below the bottom of said removable pan,.and a flexible conduit communicating with the first mentioned pa adjacent the bottom thereof.

V 3. A concentrator comprising a tank having an, open top, a pipe extending vertically upward within said tank, means for forcing water upwardly within said pipe,means for oscillating said pipe about its longitudinal axis, a pan rigidly secured to said pipe, a removable pan disposed within the first mentioned pan, said removable. pan-being'provided with a screen bottom, means for discharging water from said pipe into/the first mentioned pan'below thebottom of said re movable pan, a flexibleconduit communicating with the first mentioned pan adjacent the bottom thereof, and a shellsecured about the first mentioned, pan and held in spaced relation thereto wherebyfluid may over-flow from said pan and pass downwardly between said pan and shell.

4-. A concentrator comprising a tank having an open top, a pipe extending vertically upward within said tank, means for forcing water upwardly within said pipe,means for oscillating said pipe about its longitudinal axis, a pan rigidly secured to said pipe, a removable pan disposed within the first mentioned pan, said removable pan being provided with a screen bottom, means for discharging water from said pipe into the first mentioned pan below the bottom of said removable pan, a flexible conduit communieating with the first mentioned pan adjacent the bottom thereof, a shell secured aboutthe first mentioned pan and held in spaced relation thereto. whereby fluid may over-flow from said pan and pass downwardly be-' tween said pan and shell, and a screen disposed above said pan removably secured to said shelL- 5. A concentrator comprising a tank having an open top, a pipe extending vertically upward within saidtank, means for forcing water upwardly within said pipe, means for oscillating said pipe about its longitudinal axis, a pan rigidly secured to said pipe, a removable pan disposed within the first mentioned pan, said removable pan being provided with a screeirbottom, means for discharging water from said pipe into thefirst mentioned pan below the bottom of said removable pan, a flexible conduit communicating with the first mentioned panadjacent the bottom thereof, a shell secured about the first mentioned pan and held in spaced relation thereto. whereby fluid may. over-flow from said panand pass downwardlybetween said pan and shell, a screen disposed above said pan removably secured to said shell, and an inclined trough secured about said shell, said trough communicating with the exterior of said tank.

6. A concentrator comprising a tank having an open top, a pipe extending vertically upward within said tank, means for forcing water upwardly within said pipe, means for oscillating said pipe about its longitudinal axis, a pan rigidly secured to said pipe, a removable pan disposed within the first mentioned pan, said removable pan being provided with a screen bottom, means for discharging water from said pipe into the first mentioned pan below the bottom of said removable pan, a flexible conduit communicating with'the first mentioned pan adjacent the bottom thereof, and a valve controlled outlet secured to the bottom of said tank.

7 A concentrator comprising an upright tank having an open top, a pipe arranged vertically within said tank, means for discharging water into said pipe, means for oscillating said pipe about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of pans rigidly secured to said pipe, a plurality of removable pans disposed within each of the first mentioned pans, said removable pans being provided with screen bottoms, and shell secured about each of the first mentioned pans and held in spaced relation thereto so as to define passages whereby material over-flowing from each pan may be discharged centrally of the next subjacent pan.

8. A concentrator comprising an upright tank having an open top, a pipe arranged vertically within said tank, means for discharging water into said pipe, means for oscillating said pipe about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of pans rigidly secured to said pipe, a plurality of removable pans disposed within each of the first mentioned pans, said removable pans being provided with screen bottoms, shells secured about each of the first mentioned pans and held in spaced relation thereto so as to define passages whereby material over-flowing from each pan may be discharged centrally of the next subjacent pan, and means for discharging water from said pipe into each of the first mentioned pans below the bottoms of the removable pans therein.

9. A concentrator comprising an upright tank having an open top, a pipe arranged vertically within said tank, means for discharging water into said pipe, means for oscillating said pipe about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of pans rigidly secured to said pipe, a plurality of removable pans disposed within each of the first mentioned pans, said removable pans being provided with screen bottoms, shells secured about each of the first mentioned pans and held in spaced relation thereto so asto define pas sages whereby material over-flowing from each pan may be discharged centrally of the next subjacent pan, and a flexible conduit communicating with each of the first mentioned pans adjacent the bottom thereof and extending through to the exterior of said tank.

10. A concentrator comprising an uprigl'it tank having an open top, a pipe arranged vertically within said tank, means for discharging water into said pipe, means for os cillating said pipe about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of pans rigidly secured to said pipe, a plurality of removable pans disposed within each of the first mentioned pans, said removable pans being provided with screen bottoms, shells secured about each of the first mentioned pans and held in spaced relation thereto so as to define passages whereby material over-flowing from each pan may be discharged centrally of the next subjacent pan, and screens removably s cured to each of said shells above the pans therewithin.

ll. A concentrator comprising an uprignt tank having an open top, a pipe arranged vertically within said tank, means for discharging water into said pipe, means for oscillating said pipe about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of pans rigidly secured to said pipe, a plurality of removable pans disposed within each of the first mentioned pans, said removable pans being provided with screen bottoms, shells secured about each of the first mentioned pans and held in spaced relation thereto so as to define passages whereby material over-flowing from each pan may be discharged centrally of the next subjacent pan, and screens removably secured to each of said shells above the pans therewith, the uppermost screen being of relatively coarse mesh and the lowermost screen being of relatively fine mesh. 7

12. A concentrator comprising an upright -tank having an open top, a pipe arranged vertically within said tank, means for discharging water into said pipe, means for oscillating said pipe about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of pans rigidly secured to said pipe, a plurality of removable pans disposed within each of the first mentioned pans, said removable pans being provided with screen bottoms, shells secured about each of the first mentioned pans and held in spaced relation thereto so as to define passages whereby material over-flowing from each pan may be discharged centrally of the next subjacent pan, screens removably secured to each of said shells above the pans therewith, and inclined troughs formed about each of said shells communicating with the exterior of said tank.

13. A, concentrator comprising an upright tank having an open top, a pipe arranged till vertically within said tank, means for discharging water into'said pipe, a plurality of pans rigidly secured to said pipe, a plurality of removable pans disposedwithin each of the first mentioned pans, said removable pans being provided with screen botton1s,'shells secured about each of the first I mentioned pans and held in spaced relation thereto so as to define passages whereby material over-fiowing from each pan may be discharged centrally ofthe next subjacent pan, and screens removably secured to each of said shells above the pans therewith, said screens being upwardly convex.

1a. A concentrator comprising an upright tank having an open top, a pipe arranged vertically within said tank, means for discharging water into said pipe, means for oscillating said pipe about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of pans rigidly secured to said pipe, a plurality of removable pans disposed within each of the first mentioned pans, said removable pans being provided with screen bottoms, shells secured about each of the first mentioned pans and held in spaced relation thereto so as to define passages whereby material over-fiowing from each pan may be discharged centrally of the next subjacent pan, and a flexible conduit communicating with each of the first mentioned pans adjacent the bottom thereof and extending through to the exterior of said tank, and plates disposed within the first mentioned pans, said plates being inclined toward the mouths of said flexible conduits.

15. A concentrator comprising an upright tank having a door formed in the side thereof, a spider secured upon the top of said tank, a funnel disposed beneath said spider, a pipe rotatably mounted within said tank, means for oscillating said pipe about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of conical pans rigidly secured to said pipe, a plurality of removable pans disposed within each of the first mentioned pans, said removable pans havin screen bottoms held above the bottoms of the first mentioned pans, conical shells disposed about each of the first men tioned pans and rigidly secured in spaced relation thereto, screens removably secured to said shells adjacent the top thereof, inclined troughs formed about said shells and communicating with the exterior of said tank, means for discharging water into each of the first mentioned pans below the bottoms of the removable pans, and means for withdrawing material collected in the bottoms of said first mentioned pans.

16. A concentrator comprising an upright tank having a door formed in the side thereof, a spider secured upon the top of said tank, a funnel disposed beneath said spider, a pipe rotatably mounted within said tank,

means for oscillating said pipe about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of conical pans rigidly secured to said ipe, a plurality of removable pans disposed within each of the first mentioned pans, said removable pans having screen bottoms held above the bottoms of the first mentioned pans, conical shells disposed about each of the first mentioned pans and rigidly secured in spaced relation thereto, screens removably secured to said shells adjacent the top thereof, inclined troughs formed about said shells and communicating with the exterior of said tank, means for discharging water into each of the first mentioned pans below the bottoms of the removable pans, means for withdrawingmaterial-collected in the bottoms of said first mentioned pans, and a valve controlled outlet formed in the bottom of said tank. 17. A concentrator comprising an upright tank having a doo formed in the side thereof, a spider secured upon the top of said tank, a funnel disposed beneath said spider, a pipe rotatably mounted within said tank, means for oscillating said pipe about its longitudinal axis, means for discharging water into said pipe, a plurality of conical pans rigidly secured to said pipe, a plurality removable pans disposed within each of the first mentioned pans, said removable pans having screen bottoms held above the bottoms of the first mentioned pans, conical shells disposed about each of the first mentioned pans and rigidly secured in spaced relation thereto, screens removably secured to said shells adjacent the top thereof, inclined troughs formed about said shells and communicating with the exterior of said tank, means for discharging; water from said pipe into each of the first mentioned pans below the bottoms of the removable pans, and means for withdrawing material collected in the bottoms of the first mentioned pans.

18. A concentrator comprising an upright tank having a door formed in the side thereof, a spider secured upon the top of said tank, a funnel disposed beneath said spider, a pipe rotatably mounted within said tank, means for oscillating said pipe about its longitudinal axis, means for discharging water into said pipe, a plurality of conical pans rigidly secured to said pipe, a plurality of removable pans disposed within each of the first mentioned pans, said removable pans having scrcen bottoms held above the bottoms of the first mentioned pans, conical shells disposed about each of the first mentioned pans and rigidly secured in spaced relation thereto, screens removably secured to said shells adjacent the top thereof, inclined troughs formed about said shells and communicating with the exterior of said tank, means for dis charging water from said pipe into each of the first mentioned pans below the bottoms of the removable pans, means for Withdrawing material collected in the bottoms of the first mentioned pans, and means for discharging Water from said pipe into said tunnel.

A concentrator comprising a tank, a pipe vertically disposed Within said tank, means for oscillating said pipe about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of pans arranged centrally about said pipe, screens disposed Within said pans above the bottoms thereof, and means for discharging Water through said pipe into said pans between their bottoms and said screens.

20. A concentrator ccmprisiup,- a tank, a pipe vertically disposed Within said tank, means for oscillating said pipe about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of pans arranged centrally about said pipe, screens disposed Within said pans above the bot toms thereof, means for discharging Water through said pipe into said pans between their bottoms and said screens, and means for separately Withdrawing material collected in the bottoms of said pans.

21. A concentrator comprising a tank, a pipe disposed within said tank, a conical pan secured to said pipe, means for rotatably oscillating said pipe, and means for discharging Water through said pipe into said pan adjacentthe bottom thereof, there being a screen disposed in said pan above the bottom thereof.

22. A concentrator comprising a tank, a pipe disposed Within said tank, a conical pan secured to said pipe, means for rotatabl oscillating said pipe, means for dis charging Water through said pipe into said pan adjacent the bottom thereof, and means for ithdrawing the material collected in the bottom of the pan through the tank.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WESLEY J. ROBBINS. 

